Anthony Ogogo announces retirement

Middleweight boxer Anthony Ogogo announced his retirement from boxing today at the age of 30. The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist from England  announced today his retirement citing that after seven failed operations over the span of two years to fix his an injured eye he is forced to hang up the gloves.

In a statement posted on his Twitter account, he mentioned the following:

“Accepting the end gracefully is part of being a professional athlete.”

‘Calling an end to dreams that are left unfulfilled is the hardest part. Life is all about doing your best with the cards you’ve been dealt; that is what I have done time after time. 

‘Sadly, after 7 operations on my eyes in 2 and a half years, I am forced to admit that they are too damaged for me to safely return to the boxing ring. With a heavy heart, I have to retire from professional boxing with my dreams unfulfilled.

‘Today marks the end of my boxing journey. It’s been one hell of a ride: from walking into the boxing gym as a skinny, gap toothed 12-year-old, to travelling the world and meeting some remarkable people. I’m grateful that I’ve been blessed enough to do what I’ve loved to do for the last 18 years.’

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Let’s get this done then shall we. One step closer. On the October 29th 1941 our greatest leader said “Never give in.” And my greatest inspiration, my mother, tells me “To dream until my dreams come true.” I’m still dreaming and I’m certainly not giving in. One step closer to getting back in the boxing ring and on my journey to becoming world champion. Thank you for your support people, thank you for your patience. When this show gets back on the road it’s going to be worth the the pain I’ve had to endure, physical and mental. The battle scars will be proudly worn and when I lift those belts it’s going to be well worth the wait, simply put it’s going to be…. GLORIOUS. #OArmy Ps, my hat is better than you hat!

A post shared by Anthony Ogogo (@anthonyogogo11) on Oct 6, 2017 at 2:53am PDT

Ogogo’s professional career was a promising but short one spanning a total of 12 fights total spanning from 2013 to 2016. Hampered by injuries throughout his time in the ring, he amassed a 7-0 record before surgery for an achilles in 2014 taking him out of action for a year.  On his immediate comeback fight against Ruslan Schelev in July 2015, he dislocated his shoulder in the second round of that fight, but finished until the end of the six rounds to win by unanimous decision.

His final record of 11-1 with the one loss ending his career against Chuck Cunningham in a WBC Intercontinental title fight 2016. The fight was stopped by Ogogo’s corner in the 8th round after complaints of blurred vision. It was later confirmed after the fight he had suffered a fractured eye socket.